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Four years after its traumatic bankruptcy, General Motors posted the strongest initial quality marks of all major automakers in a widely followed survey of new vehicle buyers in the U.S.

GMC ranked second among 33 brands and Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick all did better than the industry average in J.D. Power’s 2013 Initial Quality Study.

Porsche led all brands in the annual survey which began in 1987 and measures customer satisfaction during the first 90 days of owning a new car or truck. The results were released at an Automotive Press Association luncheon. The primary measure is problems per 100 vehicles. A problem is anything an owner identifies as not functioning properly or is difficult to use.

“GM had a banner year with eight model-level awards when the next best was three,” said Dave Sargent, vice president of global automotive for J.D. Power. “Considering where they were four or five years ago when people said their vehicles should be kicked to the curb,” this is impressive.

Frustration with Ford’s MyTouch infotainment system continued to bring the Dearborn-based automaker down in the eyes of new customers. The Ford brand fell to seventh from the bottom. In 2012, Ford was eighth from last.

Sargent said improvements to MyTouch have made it better, but as Ford adds the touch-screen system to more vehicles, it has garnered more complaints from new owners struggling with its touch or voice commands. Ford started restoring some control buttons on its vehicles in the last two years and will continue to do so as it redesigns models.

Sargent said he expects Ford results to improve as MyTouch improves and consumers grow more comfortable with it. He noted that no one automaker is doing particularly well with their voice-recognition and Bluetooth systems.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said the system is now on 80% of vehicles and internal data continues to show it improves overall customer satisfaction.

Chrysler (109 problems per 100) and Lincoln (113) brands improved to match or exceed the industry average of 113 PPH.

Market analyst Jack Nerad of Kelley Blue Book said buyers use the study to corroborate or question their own opinions.

Alicia Boler-Davis, GM’s vice president for global quality, said the automaker improved its standing by implementing quick fixes after listening to customer feedback and using standardized manufacturing processes.

GM’s score was boosted by its trucks and the 2013 Impala. These models were near the end of their lifecycles. Workers are comfortable with the assembly process and they also have less technology than the redesigned 2014 models replacing them.

“We believe with the new products we have coming out that we will be able to continue to meet our customers’ expectations,” Boler-Davis said.

GMC rose from ninth last year to second-best, and Chevrolet jumped from 15th to fifth, led by its pickup trucks and SUVs. Buick went from below average to tied with Chrysler for 15th. Cadillac slipped from fourth to 14th, largely because of because of the launch of the new ATS and XTS.

In addition, Cadillac has introduced its own CUE touch-screen infotainment system that some customers find complicated and hard to use.

For the second consecutive year, the largest area of customer complaints centered on audio, entertainment and navigation systems, and customers aren’t getting more comfortable, Sargent said, adding that young buyers were just as critical of the technology as older consumers.

This year, J.D. Power updated the survey, adding questions about the amount and value of touch screens, hands-free phone use, blind-spot alerts and automated parking. Also, for the first time the survey was conducted online, allowing owners to give more specific feedback, Sargent said.

Nearly two-thirds of the problems reported were design-related — not malfunctions. The study found only 9% of design problems prompted a trip to the dealership and when they did, they could only be fixed 13% of the time.

Automakers are in a bit of a Catch-22, Sargent said. Consumers are demanding more technology in their vehicles, but the desired features generate more complaints.

“It’s hard to balance,” Sargent said. “I don’t envy the automakers. It’s a fine line they have to walk.”

In other results:

■ Chrysler Town & Country beat all Japanese competitors in the minivan category after not making the top three in 2012.

■ Ford F-Series did not make the top three for large pickup or heavy-duty pickup, categories swept by GM trucks.

■ Nissan fell in the rankings, largely because launches of a new Altima, Sentra and Pathfinder meant more than half its volume was all-new vehicles.